The incident is said to have enraged the North Korean leader.
The official launch
The North Korean leader was attending the official launch of a new warship when, in a matter of moments, the ceremony turned into a fiasco.
A launch
The vessel, named Choe Hyon, suddenly flipped on its side as it was being launched from the quay, during a side launch.
The fury
Kim Jong-un was visibly humiliated and angry after his new warship capsized during the launch ceremony, an event he was quick to describe as an act of sabotage and a "criminal act", according to The Guardian.
5,000 tonnes
According to the official KCNA news agency, sections of the 5,000-ton warship's bottom broke off, an incident which it claims has led to the collapse of the North Korean state's dignity and self-esteem, no less.
Inexcusable liability
Humiliated, Kim Jong-un denounced the incident as an act of total negligence and inexcusable irresponsibility, saying it was simply intolerable.
Inexperience
For their part, the North Korean state media attributed the failure of the lateral launch, a first in North Korea, to inexperience on the part of the command and a serious operational error.
An uncertain future
North Korea had planned for this warship to enter service early next year, but following this fiasco, its future remains uncertain.